Comparing "The Taming of the Shrew" to "Jeux d'enfants."
As "The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare proves there has been a longstanding belief that deception and lies are a big part of relationships. In "The Shrew" , Lucentio uses deception to gain the love of Bianca. In the film "Jeux d'enfants" by Yann Samuell two childhood friends develop a game of dares, whoever holds the tin carousel can dare the other whatever they wish. The game starts off fairly innocent, but after years of heart break and separation, the dares move up to a new level and deception is ubiquitous. But even after many years and two marriages separating them, the two friends, Julien and Sophie realize that the game had been a desperate attempt to hide the fact that they were meant for each other.
Though this idea of deception is prevalent in both stories, each story has its own take on how it works out. In "Taming of the Screw" deception is used to gain a loved one through trickery, but not malice. In "Jeux d'enfants" deception is used most often to get back at a loved one, rather then to gain one, even though it might lead to love.
Deceit still has a role in relationships today as it has in the past, but there is much more to this deception then shown in "The Taming of the Screw." Deception can be used to try to gain a loved one or to get back at one when a loved one hurts them.
Scene One
BIONDELLO
Then thus: Baptista is safe, talking with the deceiving father of a deceitful son
LUCENTIO
And what of him?
BIONDELLO
His daughter is to be brought by you to the supper.
LUCENTIO
And then? BIONDELLO
The old priest at Saint Luke’s Church is at your command at all hours.
LUCENTIO
And what of all this?
BIONDELLO
I cannot tell, except they are busied about a counterfeit assurance. Take you assurance of her cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. To th' church take the priest, clerk,and some sufficient honest witnesses.If this be not that you look for, I have no more to say, But bid Bianca farewell forever and a day.
(Page 183-184, Act 4, Scene 4)
In this quote from "The Taming of the Screw" Biondello tells Lucentio (disguised as Cambio) the plan. Baptista has requested that Cambio bring Bianca to dinner. Biondello explains that he has arranged for a priest and witnesses to perform a hasty marriage in a church nearby. Lucentio agrees to the plan to elope.
One of the more memorable scenes of deception happens about halfway into the movie. After four years of silence, Julien and Sophie meet again. Julien asks Sophie out for dinner and she accepts. They converse for a while and Julien asks if Sophie is seeing anyone, to which she replies "There's no one in my bed, if you're wondering." Julien then proposes a toast, "To us... to the present, to what i have to say." he then starts off telling Sophie that he is in love, to which she replies "In love? Just like that?" Julien says "No, not like that. It's been years. Years of silence." He then goes on to tell Sophie that he wants to get married and asks if she agrees. She asks him if he really wants to and his response is,"For that, I need you." Sophie then laughs and says "Sure, you can't marry by yourself." But then the unexpected happens. Julien takes out his wedding rings and hands them to her, he tells her that he is entrusting them to her until the ceremony, he asks if she accepts, and Sophie, obviously crushed nods her head. Julien then tells her that she will be his witness, he orates, "You said I could never hurt you. Now we're even." He takes the lid off of a plate on the table revealing the carousel, re-initiating the game of dare, and finally introduces Sophie to his fiancée.
The scene in "Jeux d'enfants" was similar to how Luchentio arranged the fake wedding to fool Baptista so that Lucentio can marry Bianca for real and in secret. Both Lucentio's fake dinner plans and Julien's fake proposal to Sophie used deception to gain something of value to them, but the reasoning behind the lies differed. Luchentio lied so that he could wed Bianca and live happy with her, Julien's lie was used for pure revenge, Sophie hurt him in the past and he wanted to get back at her. This scene also reveals that Sophie still did have feelings for Julien.
Scene Two
LUCENTIO
Basta, content thee, for I have it full.
We have not yet been seen in any house,
Nor can we be distinguished by our faces
For man or master. Then it follows thus:
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,
Keep house and port and servants as I should.
I will some other be, some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.
'Tis hatched, and shall be so. Tranio, at once
Uncase thee. Take my colored hat and cloak.
(Page 45, Act 1, Scene 1)
In this quote Luchentio tells Tranio his plan of disguising himself so he can get closer to Bianca. Luchentio says that Tranio should take his coat and hat and pretend to be him, so that he can go off and try to win Bianca's affection.
More deception in the same vein as the lie in Scene One happens later on in the movie. Sophie calls Julien to come over to her house, but this turns out to be an elaborate trick she conceived. She ransacks the house, and when Julien arrives, she calls the cops and tells them that the madman who wrecked her home was back. In one minute the cops appear at the house, Julien flees, and a chase seen occurs ending with Julien's car ramming into a semi-trailer truck and exploding. Sophie hears of the accident and rushes to the hospital, when she goes to Julien's room she sees the precious carousel sitting next to a badly burnt man. Sophie shocked, picks up the carousel and stumbles out of the room. The scene ends with her walking down the hallway terribly distraught, out of her view, a barely wounded Julien hobbles down the hall exclaiming in is mind "After all, it was only a game!"
Like Lucentio, Julien also tricks a woman into believing that he was something that he was not, but Lucentio and Julien had completely different motives. Lucentio was trying to win the love of Bianca, and Julien was trying to get revenge on Sophie and make her feel horrible and responsible for what happened to him.
Julien and Sophie both use the game that they have created, and this constant deception between the two of them to hide their true feelings, that they are absolutely in love with each other. In the end of the movie they are together, but this ending is nothing like the ending of "The Screw." Julien and Sophie do not live on, fairly happy together like Lucentio and Bianca. In one final dare, the dare of dares. They stand together in a pit at a construction site sharing a final embrace, while the cement mixer pours cement into the foundation. They share one last kiss as the cement goes over their heads, they finally shared their dream, their dream of endless love.
Resources:
William, Shakespeare.The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Print.
Jeux d'enfants. Dir. Yann Samuell. Perf. Guillaume Canet , Marion Cotillard, Thibault Verhaeghe, and Joséphine Lebas-Joly. Paramount Classics, 2003. Film.
Amour, mensonges, et la vie.
Comparing "The Taming of the Shrew" to "Jeux d'enfants."As "The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare proves there has been a longstanding belief that deception and lies are a big part of relationships. In "The Shrew" , Lucentio uses deception to gain the love of Bianca. In the film "Jeux d'enfants" by Yann Samuell two childhood friends develop a game of dares, whoever holds the tin carousel can dare the other whatever they wish. The game starts off fairly innocent, but after years of heart break and separation, the dares move up to a new level and deception is ubiquitous. But even after many years and two marriages separating them, the two friends, Julien and Sophie realize that the game had been a desperate attempt to hide the fact that they were meant for each other.
Though this idea of deception is prevalent in both stories, each story has its own take on how it works out. In "Taming of the Screw" deception is used to gain a loved one through trickery, but not malice. In "Jeux d'enfants" deception is used most often to get back at a loved one, rather then to gain one, even though it might lead to love.
Deceit still has a role in relationships today as it has in the past, but there is much more to this deception then shown in "The Taming of the Screw." Deception can be used to try to gain a loved one or to get back at one when a loved one hurts them.
Scene One
BIONDELLO
Then thus: Baptista is safe, talking with the deceiving father of a deceitful son
LUCENTIOAnd what of him?
BIONDELLOHis daughter is to be brought by you to the supper.
LUCENTIOAnd then?
BIONDELLO
The old priest at Saint Luke’s Church is at your command at all hours.
LUCENTIOAnd what of all this?
BIONDELLOI cannot tell, except they are busied about a counterfeit assurance. Take you assurance of her cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. To th' church take the priest, clerk,and some sufficient honest witnesses.If this be not that you look for, I have no more to say, But bid Bianca farewell forever and a day.
(Page 183-184, Act 4, Scene 4)In this quote from "The Taming of the Screw" Biondello tells Lucentio (disguised as Cambio) the plan. Baptista has requested that Cambio bring Bianca to dinner. Biondello explains that he has arranged for a priest and witnesses to perform a hasty marriage in a church nearby. Lucentio agrees to the plan to elope.
One of the more memorable scenes of deception happens about halfway into the movie. After four years of silence, Julien and Sophie meet again. Julien asks Sophie out for dinner and she accepts. They converse for a while and Julien asks if Sophie is seeing anyone, to which she replies "There's no one in my bed, if you're wondering." Julien then proposes a toast, "To us... to the present, to what i have to say." he then starts off telling Sophie that he is in love, to which she replies "In love? Just like that?" Julien says "No, not like that. It's been years. Years of silence." He then goes on to tell Sophie that he wants to get married and asks if she agrees. She asks him if he really wants to and his response is,"For that, I need you." Sophie then laughs and says "Sure, you can't marry by yourself." But then the unexpected happens. Julien takes out his wedding rings and hands them to her, he tells her that he is entrusting them to her until the ceremony, he asks if she accepts, and Sophie, obviously crushed nods her head. Julien then tells her that she will be his witness, he orates, "You said I could never hurt you. Now we're even." He takes the lid off of a plate on the table revealing the carousel, re-initiating the game of dare, and finally introduces Sophie to his fiancée.
The scene in "Jeux d'enfants" was similar to how Luchentio arranged the fake wedding to fool Baptista so that Lucentio can marry Bianca for real and in secret. Both Lucentio's fake dinner plans and Julien's fake proposal to Sophie used deception to gain something of value to them, but the reasoning behind the lies differed. Luchentio lied so that he could wed Bianca and live happy with her, Julien's lie was used for pure revenge, Sophie hurt him in the past and he wanted to get back at her. This scene also reveals that Sophie still did have feelings for Julien.
Scene Two
LUCENTIO
Basta, content thee, for I have it full.
We have not yet been seen in any house,
Nor can we be distinguished by our faces
For man or master. Then it follows thus:
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,
Keep house and port and servants as I should.
I will some other be, some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.
'Tis hatched, and shall be so. Tranio, at once
Uncase thee. Take my colored hat and cloak.
(Page 45, Act 1, Scene 1)
In this quote Luchentio tells Tranio his plan of disguising himself so he can get closer to Bianca. Luchentio says that Tranio should take his coat and hat and pretend to be him, so that he can go off and try to win Bianca's affection.
More deception in the same vein as the lie in Scene One happens later on in the movie. Sophie calls Julien to come over to her house, but this turns out to be an elaborate trick she conceived. She ransacks the house, and when Julien arrives, she calls the cops and tells them that the madman who wrecked her home was back. In one minute the cops appear at the house, Julien flees, and a chase seen occurs ending with Julien's car ramming into a semi-trailer truck and exploding. Sophie hears of the accident and rushes to the hospital, when she goes to Julien's room she sees the precious carousel sitting next to a badly burnt man. Sophie shocked, picks up the carousel and stumbles out of the room. The scene ends with her walking down the hallway terribly distraught, out of her view, a barely wounded Julien hobbles down the hall exclaiming in is mind "After all, it was only a game!"
Like Lucentio, Julien also tricks a woman into believing that he was something that he was not, but Lucentio and Julien had completely different motives. Lucentio was trying to win the love of Bianca, and Julien was trying to get revenge on Sophie and make her feel horrible and responsible for what happened to him.
Julien and Sophie both use the game that they have created, and this constant deception between the two of them to hide their true feelings, that they are absolutely in love with each other. In the end of the movie they are together, but this ending is nothing like the ending of "The Screw." Julien and Sophie do not live on, fairly happy together like Lucentio and Bianca. In one final dare, the dare of dares. They stand together in a pit at a construction site sharing a final embrace, while the cement mixer pours cement into the foundation. They share one last kiss as the cement goes over their heads, they finally shared their dream, their dream of endless love.
Resources:
William, Shakespeare.The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Print.
Jeux d'enfants. Dir. Yann Samuell. Perf. Guillaume Canet , Marion Cotillard, Thibault Verhaeghe, and Joséphine Lebas-Joly. Paramount Classics, 2003. Film.